1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a container filling plant for handling different containers, and a method of operating a container filling plant for handling different containers.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
The present application concerns a container processing plant or a format part which can be connected to a receiving element via at least one connecting element.
Such format parts can be used for example in bottle processing machines. Such a format part is a bottle-dependent component of the bottle processing machine which can be changed suitably for one or more bottles. Bottle processing machines can be fillers, closers, labelers or similar which for example transport rotating bottles.
The format parts are designed so they are adapted to specific bottle diameters and heights. The connecting elements are connected firstly to a receiving element and secondly to the format part. For this, normally, a screw connection is provided which means that the elements spaced from each other are joined together by form fit via the connecting elements.
A bottle processing machine can process several bottles which have different heights or different diameters e.g. in their body region. Evidently the bottle processing machines normally process bottle series with the same dimensions. On a change to a new bottle series with said different dimensions, the format parts must or should be adapted to the new dimensions. This is normally achieved by exchanging the respective format parts.
These are however, as described above, connected by form fit, i.e., screwed to the receiving element via the connecting elements. To change these therefore, the respective screw connections must or should be released, for which at present a tool is required or desired. Releasing each of the individual screw connections is very time-intensive and therefore has a negative effect on the availability of the bottle processing machine. Also, the existing format part must or should be replaced by a format part adapted to the new dimensions of the bottle series, so that, again, considerable time is required or desired for creating the screw connections. To this extent considerable time is required or desired for conversion, which not only entails huge personnel costs, but also shuts down the bottle processing machine so that production, e.g. filling or labeling, and upstream or downstream steps are interrupted.
In order to remove or install the format part to be changed, parameters which must or should be observed precisely or substantially precisely must or should be executed, which means that there is a high potential for error. The downside however is that the container or bottle quasi-locks the format part so that the format part cannot be removed if the bottles are not guided correctly (crashed), since the format part can be removed in the radial direction i.e. transverse to the vertical axis of the bottle processing machine.
Some so-called quick release pins are known.
Some guide elements comprise guide part elements, which can be connected together at least via one connecting element.
The at least one connecting element has a first connecting part element and a second connecting part element, wherein the one connecting part element has a lockable socket in which the other connecting part element can be inserted with its plug side which is designed corresponding to the socket, so that the one connecting part element is securely held in position by force fit on the other connecting part element when the lockable socket is locked. Thus a guide element is provided, the guide part elements of which, i.e. the neck guide element and the interchangeable star plate, are connected together by a plug-in connection of the two connecting part elements, wherein the positional security is created by force fit by means of the lockable socket. In contrast to the prior art described above, to change, for example, the interchangeable star plate, it may be necessary or desired to unlock the lockable socket so that the connecting part element inserted in the socket can simply be withdrawn from the socket. Also the lockable socket can be actuated without tools. If the lockable socket has seized, a release aid or impact aid may be required to support the release. However, usually only a few impacts are required to support the release, whereby the change cost or release cost of the connecting part elements connected together by force fit may not be affected negatively. In principle the lockable socket can possibly be actuated manually without tools.